.^.C7I 


BOOKLETS  BY 
Hbnry  Albert  Collins 

The  Banker's  Investment 
The  Happy  Man 
After  Many  Days 
Their  Golden  Wedding 
His  Silent  Partner 
The  Judge's  Decision 
The  Winning  Side 
Our  Merchant  Prince 
Her  Silver  Gup 
Inside  the  Factory 
Etc. 


'V 


FEB    3    1953      \ 


His  Master's  Word 


Copyright  1920 

BY 

HENRY  ALBERT  COLLINS 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/hismasterswordOOcoll 


I  FOUND  THE  GATE  CLOSED  AND  LOCKED" 


n>  If— irr=f>.  ii<^=nr— It  -in 


His  Master's  Word 

BY         ^ 

Henry  Albert  Collins 

"  The  Life  Annuity  Man" 


AUTHOR  OF 

ICE-CREAM      ALLEY, 

UFE  ANNUITY  TEXT  BOOK. 

ETC. 


It  is  written,  How  beautiful  are 

the   feet  of  them  that   bring 

glad   tidings    of  good    things.' 

—Romans  10:15 


^  1 

^  ^ 


WITH  THE  COMPLIMENTS  OF 

OTTERBEIN  COLLEGE 

Westerville,  Ohio 

Founded  1847 

□ a 

ni  11— ir-=A  II  -i<^=mr-ir  in 


HIS  MASTER'S  WORD 

THE  WARNING 


A 


FTER  looking  at  his  watch,  Frank 
Wright  said,  "Mother,  I  guess  Vd 
better  be  going,  for  if  I  stay  too 
long  my  boss  will  be  getting  un- 


easy." 


As  he  was  leaving  the  room, 
Mrs.  Wright  patted  her  son  on 
the  back  and  said,  "Frank,  I  hope 
you  will  keep  this  job.  Try  to  please  Mr. 
Allen  and  obey  his  word.  Remember,  son, 
the  infirmities  of  age  make  some  men  very 
domineering,  and  often  their  commands  seem 
unreasonable  to  their  employees." 

"Well,  mother,  for  your  sake  I'll  try  to 
please  him." 

Bidding  his  mother  an  affectionate  fare- 
well, Frank  jumped  into  Mr.  Allen's  auto 
that  stood  in  front  of  the  house. 

A  young  man  who  was  coming  down  the 
street  cried,  "Hello,  Frank,  where  are  you 
going?" 

"I  am  going  out  to  Mr.  Allen's.  I'm  his 
new  chauffeur.  This  being  my  mother's 
birthday  he  let  me  off  this  morning  to  eat 
dinner  with  her." 


His  Master's   Word 


Arthur  Reynolds  unceremoniously  climbed 
into  the  auto  beside  his  friend  and  said, 
"Let's  drive  out  to  the  new  amusement 
park." 

"I've  hardly  got  time,  Arthur.  Mr.  Allen 
charged  me  to  be  back  by  half  past  two.  I've 
got  a  fine  position  and  if  I  am  late  to-day  he 
might  fire  me." 

"We've  got  nearly  an  hour,  Frank.  This 
is  a  good  car  and  we  can  make  it  easy."  As 
Frank  hesitated  the  tempter  pleaded,  "O, 
come  on,  that's  a  good  fellow!" 

"Well,  all  right,  Arthur.  Nevertheless  I 
have  a  presentiment  that  I  ought  to  go  right 
back  to  Fernwood." 

It  was  only  a  short  run  out  to  the  new  park 
but  as  usual  the  boys  stayed  longer  than  they 
had  anticipated.  Soon  after  starting  back  to 
town  a  tire  blew  out.  They  stopped  the  car 
and  hastily  replaced  the  punctured  tube. 

Frank  looked  at  his  watch  and  exclaimed, 
"My  goodness,  Arthur,  it's  almost  half  past 
two  now  I  I've  got  to  hurry." 
"Go  to  it,  Frank.  Give  her  lots  of  juice." 
He  did  so  and  when  going  down  Main 
Street  they  were  arrested  for  violating  the 
speed  limit.  Frank  tried  to  explain  matters 
to  the  "cop,"  but  he  only  mumbled  brusquely, 
"Tell  it  to  the  judge." 


His  Master's   Word 


When  they  were  brought  before  the  court, 
after  hearing  the  testimony,  the  judge  said, 
"The  ordinances  of  this  city  require  me  to 
fine  you  ten  dollars  and  costs.  You  may  pay 
it  to  the  clerk  of  the  court." 

When  the  young  men  had  made  an  invoice 
of  the  contents  of  their  pockets  they  were 
quite  perplexed,  for  they  had  less  than  four 
dollars.  Frank  said  anxiously,  "Judge,  what 
shall  I  do?" 

Judge  Robbins  'phoned  to  Mr.  Allen  and 
after  he  had  hung  up  the  receiver,  replied, 
"Frank,  although  your  name  is  Wright  you 
were  altogether  wrong  in  taking  the  chances 
you  did  to-day.  Your  time  belongs  to  Mr. 
Allen  while  you  are  in  his  employ.  He  has 
kindly  agreed  to  assume  your  fine  and  will 
deduct  it  from  your  wages.  Now  go,  but  let 
this  be  a  lesson  to  you  to  obey  the  instruc- 
tions of  your  employer." 

When  Frank  drove  up  to  Fernwood  he 
found  Mr.  Allen  impatiently  waiting  on  the 
front  walk.  He  hastily  seated  himself  in  the 
auto  and  said,  "Frank,  drive  to  my  bank  as 
quickly  as  possible,  but  mind  you  do  not 
break  the  speed  law  again.  I  am  very  sorry 
that  your  disregard  of  my  explicit  instruc- 
tions has  caused  me  to  be  late  at  a  very  im- 
portant committee  meeting.     The  very  next 


8  His  Master's   Word 

time,  however,  that  you  fail  to  obey  my  word, 
you  will  lose  your  job.  Remember  that, 
young  man!" 

THE  MESSAGE 

When  Walter  Allen  was  reading  The  Daily 
News  that  night  he  said  to  his  wife,  "Emma, 
I  see  that  our  pastor's  topic  to-morrow  morn- 
ing is  *Obeying  Instructions.'  I'll  see  that 
Frank  Wright  hears  that  sermon.  I  hope  that 
he  will  heed  the  admonition  and  hereafter 
obey  my  orders." 

On  Sunday  morning  when  Mr.  Allen  told 
his  chauffeur  that  he  expected  him  to  attend 
church,  Frank  asked  to  be  excused  on  the 
plea  that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  attending 
church. 

Mr.  Allen  arbitrarily  said,  "You  are  to  be 
a  regular  attendant  at  church  while  you  are 
in  my  employ." 

Frank's  first  impulse  was  to  resign  his 
position  rather  than  attend  the  aristocratic 
church,  but  remembering  his  promise  to  his 
mother  he  held  his  tongue. 

When  they  entered  the  church  Mr.  Allen 
said  in  his  mandatory  manner  to  one  of  the 
ushers,  "This  is  my  chauffeur,  show  him  to 
a  seat." 

The  Scripture  lesson  of  the  morning  was 
the  story  of  the  rich  young  ruler  as  recorded 


His  Master's  Word 


in  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  the  Gospel  ac- 
cording to  St.  Luke. 

The  preacher  said,  "You  will  j&nd  the  text 
of  my  sermon  in  St.  Matthew  16:27.  *The 
Son  of  man  shall  reward  every  man  accord- 
ing to  his  works.' 

"In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  the  Master 
said,  *Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me.  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven ; 
but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which 
is  in  heaven.' 

The  minister  drew  a  graphic  word  picture 
of  two  men.  One  had  obeyed  the  laws  of  the 
land  and  profited  thereby  and  the  other  had 
continually  broken  the  laws  and  suffered  the 
consequences  thereof. 

The  preacher  said,  "It  is  natural  for  a 
young  man  to  desire  to  succeed  in  life.  Many 
hope  to  accumulate  a  fortune  or  to  specialize 
in  some  particular  line.  To  be  successful 
he  must  study  and  obey  the  laws  that  will 
assist  him  in  accomplishing  his  purpose. 

"The  rich  young  ruler  who  desired  eternal 
life  was  told  by  the  Master,  *Lackest  thou 
one  thing:  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  dis- 
tribute unto  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven.' 

"Salvation  is  a  gift  of  God,  but  we  must 
work  for  our  reward.  Many  a  so-called 
wealthy  man  may  be  saved  but  some  people 


10  His  Master's  Word 

that  have  an  abundance  of  this  world's  goods 
may  be  paupers  in  the  next  world. 

"If  we  obey  the  word  of  our  Master  we  are 
promised  a  mansion  in  heaven.  But  I  do 
not  find  any  promise  that  it  will  be  furnished. 

"Lest  we  forget,  it  is  written  in  the  last 
chapter  of  Revelations,  *Behold,  I  come 
quickly;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give 
every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be.' 

"How  often  do  we  see  men  so  engrossed  in 
business  that  they  neglect  their  health,  fam- 
ily, obligations  to  their  fellowmen  and  do  not 
obey  the  words  of  the  Master:  To  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ  our  only  Saviour  that  we  may 
inherit  eternal  life;  to  serve  him  faithfully 
day  by  day ;  and  to  lay  up  for  ourselves  treas- 
ures in  heaven." 

As  a  fitting  climax  to  the  sermon  the  choir 
and  congregation  sang: 

"Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  sniall; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 

Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all." 

On  the  homeward  drive  Frank  said,  "Mr. 
Allen,  that  was  a  fine  sermon.  I  wish  my 
mother  could  have  heard  it.  She  is  a  living 
type  of  the  old-time  religion.  I  wonder  how 
many  of  that  congregation  are  obeying  the 
Master's  words." 


His  Master's   Word 11 

Neither  Mr.  Allen  nor  his  wife  made  any 
reply. 

THE  AWAKENING 

On  Monday  morning  the  telephone  bell 
rang  while  the  Allen  family  were  at  the 
breakfast  table.  Mr.  Allen  after  answering 
the  call  said,  "Emma,  Brother  Hiram  and  his 
wife  were  seriously  injured  by  an  auto  acci- 
dent last  evening.  Ed  wants  to  know  if  we 
can  come  and  help  them.  He  is  holding  the 
line.    What  shall  I  tell  him?" 

"Of  course  we  can  go,  Walter.  If  we  hurry 
perhaps  we  can  catch  the  ten-forty  limited' 
this  morning." 

Mrs.  Allen  hastily  got  some  clothes  to- 
gether and  her  husband  packed  the  trunk. 

They  arrived  at  Newtown  late  that  after- 
noon, but  to  their  regret  their  trunk  failed  to 
come.  The  agent  assured  them  that  it  would 
be  in  on  the  "local"  that  night. 

When  they  reached  the  brother's  home 
they  found  that  he  and  his  wife  were  resting 
comfortably  and  had  a  favorable  prospect 
of  a  speedy  recovery. 

Early  next  morning  Mrs.  Allen  said  she 
was  anxious  to  get  their  trunk  so  she  could 
get  into  a  house  dress  and  help  care  for  the 
injured. 


12  His  Master's  Word 

Walter  Allen  telephoned  to  the  transfer 
company  to  bring  up  the  trunk  at  once.  The 
trunk,  however,  had  not  arrived  so  he  sent  a 
tracer  immediately  to  locate  and  have  it  for- 
warded. 

Hiram  Allen  told  his  brother  that  his  pas- 
tor and  a  score  of  laymen  were  holding  a 
series  of  revival  meetings  at  one  of  the  coun- 
try school  houses.  A  heavy  shower  on  Sun- 
day afternoon  made  the  clay  roads  very  slip- 
pery and  when  they  were  turning  a  corner  of 
the  road  their  auto  went  into  a  ditch. 

Walter  Allen  after  listening  very  atten- 
tively said,  "Hiram,  you  should  be  very 
thankful  that  you  were  not  killed  outright 
when  your  auto  turned  turtle." 

"Yes,  Walter,  I  am.  But  if  I  had  been 
killed  I  could  have  said  with  Saint  Paul,  *I 
have  lived  in  all  good  conscience  before  God 
until  this  day.'  I  have  obeyed  the  word  of 
the  Master  and  I  fully  expect  to  enjoy  my 
reward  in  the  world  which  is  to  come." 

Tuesday  night  came  and  no  tidings  of  the 
trunk.  As  an  example  of  how  little  things 
often  get  on  one's  nerves,  long  before  day- 
light the  following  morning  Walter  Allen 
said  to  his  wife,  "Are  you  awake,  Emma?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "and  I  have  been  nearly 
all  night.  I'm  afraid  our  trunk  is  lost.  What 
shall  we  do?" 


His  Master's  Word  13 

"Never  mind  about  the  trunk,  Emma. 
That  is  of  little  consequence  compared  to  the 
awful   experience  I   have  had   this   night." 

"Why,  Walter!     Are  you  sick?" 

"Sick?  Yes,  Emma,  sick  unto  death  over 
my  past  life." 

Mrs.  Allen  hastily  arose,  switched  on  the 
light  and  looked  at  her  husband.  She  asked, 
"Shall  I  call  a  doctor,  Walter?" 

"No,  Emma.  It's  not  a  doctor  but  the 
Great  Physician  whom  I  need  at  this  time." 

"You  frighten  me,  Walter.  You  must  be 
out  of  your  head.  I  never  heard  you  talk 
like  this  before.    What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

"Turn  off  the  light  and  I'll  tell  you  about 
my  dream.  We  were  invited  to  a  wedding. 
I  was  detained  by  business  and  you  did  not 
wait  for  me.  When  I  reached  the  entrance 
to  the  grounds  I  found  the  gate  closed  and 
locked.  I  heard  the  music  and  merriment  of 
the  guests  but  could  not  make  any  one  hear 
my  rattling  the  gate. 

"You  asked  if  I  was  out  of  my  head.  No, 
Emma,  not  out  of  my  head  but  out  of  har- 
mony with  the  word  of  my  Master. 

"You  remember  what  our  pastor  said  last 
Sunday  about  it  being  our  privilege  to  fur- 
nish the  house  we  expect  to  occupy  in 
heaven.  I  do  not  want  to  live  in  an  empty 
house  throughout  all  eternity.     Without  pic- 


14  His  Master's   Word 

tures  of  golden  deeds  on  the  walls  of  memory 
it  would  be  a  dreary  place.  So  with  God's 
help  I'm  going  to  turn  my  attention  to  equip- 
ping the  mansion  that  has  been  prepared  for 
me. 

"Turn  over,  Walter,  and  go  to  sleep.  I 
guess  this  trunk  matter  has  gotten  on  your 
nerves  as  well  as  mine.  You'll  be  all  right 
soon." 

"Yes,  my  dear  wife,  this  trunk  affair  has 
gotten  on  my  nerves  and  I  hope  it  will  con- 
tinue to  do  so  until  I  get  everything  settled 
right.  You  remember  William  Gowper 
wrote  the  hymn, 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way. 
His  wonders  to  perform." 

"The  failure  to  get  our  trunk  and  my  dream 
of  being  shut  out  from  the  marriage  feast  has 
proven  to  me  that  I  have  been  building  my 
house  on  an  unstable  foundation  which  the 
storms  of  life  might  wash  out  at  any  time.  I 
see  that  God's  plan  for  rewarding  those  who 
obey  his  commandments  is  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  good  business.  Take  our  bank  for 
instance.  We  only  pay  dividends  to  those 
who  own  one  or  more  shares  of  stock.  How 
blind  I  have  been  not  to  see  this  applies  to 
our  spiritual  as  well  as  commercial  life.  With- 
out investments  we  cannot  draw  dividends." 


His  Master's  Word  15 

"Well,  Walter,  I  am  truly  glad  to  know  that 
you  have  seen  the  light  that  will  be  your  guid- 
ing star  to  the  New  Jerusalem.  But,"  she 
added,  "I  do  hope  our  trunk  will  come  to-day. 
I  need  some  other  clothes." 

When  the  morning  train  arrived  the  miss- 
ing trunk  was  aboard.  It  was  found  that  in 
the  haste  of  checking  it  the  baggage  man  had 
sent  it  to  Newton,  a  small  station  on  a  side 
line. 

THE  LIGHT 

On  Wednesday  morning  Walter  Allen 
called  to  see  a  man  named  George  Leaver 
and  after  a  brief  conversation  about  the  auto 
accident  stated  his  business. 

"Do  you  remember,  Mr.  Leaver,  that  when 
you  called  to  see  me  last  year  I  declined 
to  take  any  stock  in  a  proposition  you  showed 
me?  I  told  you  very  curtly  that  I  consid- 
ered myself  amply  able  to  manage  my  finan- 
cial affairs.  I  now  wish  to  beg  your  pardon 
for  my  lack  of  courtesy.  Will  you  permit  my 
wife  and  I  to  call  at  your  house  and  let  you 
explain  this  proposition  to  us?" 

"Why,  certainly,  Mr.  Allen,  I  will  gladly 
grant  your  request.  Let  me  see,  this  is  Wed- 
nesday. To-night  is  our  prayer  meeting. 
You  ought  not  to  miss  that.  We  have  a  most 
remarkable  prayer  meeting.  How  would  to- 
morrow evening  suit  you?" 


16  His  Master's  Word 

"Perfectly,  if  it  does  not  interfere  with  your 
plans." 

After  consulting  Mrs.  Leaver  he  said,  "My 
wife  would  like  to  have  you  and  Mrs.  Allen 
take  six  o'clock  dinner  with  us  to-morrow. 
We  are  alone  and  would  greatly  enjoy  having 
you  dine  with  us." 

"This  is  very  kind  of  you,  Mr.  Leaver.  We 
will  certainly  accept  your  hospitality." 

At  the  dinner  table  Mr.  Allen  told  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Leaver  some  of  the  incidents  of  his  life. 
He  said,  "My  mother  died  when  I  was  twelve 
years  old.  My  father,  who  died  while  I  was 
yet  in  my  teens,  left  me  a  good  store  building 
on  Main  Street.  My  brother  inherited  a  farm 
near  Newtown.  We  received  a  fair  rental 
from  these  properties  which  helped  us  to  pay 
our  college  expenses. 

"We  both  married  soon  after  leaving  school. 
My  brother  moved  onto  his  farm  and  I  as- 
sisted my  father-in-law  in  organizing  our 
bank.  Some  fifty  persons  bought  shares  of 
stock.  I  put  in  my  store  building,  which  I 
valued  at  seven  thousand  dollars,  in  exchange 
for  bank  stock.  I  did  so  with  the  understand- 
ing that  I  should  be  the  cashier. 

"Some  months  later  when  the  president  of 
the  bank  resigned  I  was  chosen  to  fill  his  posi- 
tion which  I  held  for  nearly  forty  years  when 
I  broke  down  with  nervous  prostration." 


His  Master's  Word  17 

As  Walter  Allen  paused,  Mr.  Leaver  said, 
"You've  done  w^ell,  Mr.  Allen.  You  have 
accumulated  a  comfortable  fortune.  I  hope 
God  will  spare  your  life  many  years  and  diat 
you  will  continue  to  be  a  benefit  to  your  com- 
munity." 

"Yes,  I  hope  so,  Mr.  Leaver,  for  I  now  see 
that  I  have  left  undone  those  things  which  I 
ought  to  have  done.  With  opportunities  come 
responsibilities. 

"But  pardon  me,  let  me  go  on  with  my 
story.  When  I  united  with  the  church  I 
promised  my  pastor  that  if  I  ever  should 
make  twenty  thousand  dollars  I  would  give  a 
tenth  to  the  Lord's  work.  As  my  wealth  and 
expenses  increased  I  made  new  promises 
which  I  never  fulfilled.  I  told  my  pastor  one 
day  that  when  I  had  a  stated  income  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  per  year  I  would  surely  re- 
deem my  promises.  Time  passed  and  I  be- 
came so  engrossed  in  business  that  I  have  not 
kept  my  vow." 

Mrs.  Leaver  remarked,  "We've  been  tith- 
ers  for  over  twenty  years.  We  know  that  we 
have  prospered  because  we  have  obeyed  our 
Master's  word." 

"Mr.  Leaver,"  said  the  banker,  "when  you 
called  to  see  me  you  left  a  little  booklet,  *The 
Ideal  Investment.'  I  did  not  read  it  until  re- 
cently.   Have  you  another  copy?" 


18  His  Master's  Word 

Mr.  Leaver  took  from  his  coat  pocket  a 
copy  of  the  booklet.  Opening  it  Mr.  Allen 
read  aloud: 

"The  life  annuity  system  is  now  firmly  es- 
tablished and  the  more  it  is  studied  the  more 
attractive  it  becomes. 

"Life  Annuity  Bonds  are  a  wise  invest- 
ment, when  issued  by  reliable  organizations, 
for  the  following  reasons: 

"They  are  sold  to  any  person,  at  any  time 
and  for  any  amount. 

"They  offer  absolute  security  of  investment 
and  the  annuity  is  guaranteed. 

"They  provide  an  increased  income  for 
there  are  no  commissions  or  taxes  to  pay. 

"They  are  exempt  from  income  tax  until 
after  the  total  amount  of  the  principal  is  re- 
turned to  the  annuitant. 

"They  prevent  losses  from  having  idle 
money,  unwise  investments  and  speculation. 

"They  provide  prompt  payment  of  annui- 
ties and  as  desired  by  the  purchaser. 

"They  provide  a  stated  income  for  the  pres- 
ent or  future. 

"No  medical  examinations  are  required. 

"These  bonds  do  not  fluctuate  in  value, 
cannot  be  attached  or  garnisheed  for  debt,  are 
burglar  proof,  being  worthless  in  the  hands  of 


His  Master's  Word  19 

any  other  person,  and  if  lost  or  destroyed  the 
annuity  payments  continue  without  interrup- 
tion. 

"They  enable  a  person  to  be  his  own  execu- 
tor. 

"They  save  the  time  and  expense  of  mak- 
ing or  changing  a  will;  and  eliminate  care, 
trouble  and  worry. 

"They  remove  the  fear  of  having  a  person's 
will  broken. 

"They  insure  the  speedy  settlement  of 
estates  and  save  all  court  costs  and  lawyer's 
fees. 

"They  prevent  contests  over  estates  which 
often  results  in  bitter  words  and  subsequent 
estrangement  of  relatives. 

"They  often  benefit  relatives,  friends  and 
employees,  especially  women  and  children, 
far  more  than  by  simply  inheriting  a  portion 
of  an  estate. 

"They  not  only  increase  your  usefulness 
but  are  proverbial  for  lengthening  the  life  of 
the  annuitant  by  having  an  assured  income 
and  the  elimination  of  care  and  worry  over 
financial  matters. 

"No  other  form  of  investment  gives  the 
same  amount  of  joy  or  happiness  as  a  Life 
Annuity  Bond  when  bought  of  a  religious  or 
educational  organization. 


20  His  Master's   Word 

Being  no  "Water"  in  this  system  and  an 
economical  management  of  the  business  con- 
serves the  funds. 

"Annuitants  continue  buying  Life  Annuity 
Bonds  as  they  have  money  to  invest  and  are 
constantly  recommending  them  to  others. 

"This  system  is  not  only  a  benefit  to  the 
end  of  time  but  the  influence  extends  through 
all  eternity." 

While  the  banker  was  reading  the  various 
reasons  for  investing  in  Life  Annuity  Bonds 
Mr.  Leaver  breathed  a  silent  prayer  that  God 
vs^ould  so  direct  their  conversation  that  the 
seed  thoughts  of  suggestion  might  be  sown 
which  would  bear  fruit  for  the  extension  of 
his  kingdom. 

"Mr.  Leaver,  if  it  is  not  impertinent,  may 
I  ask  you  two  questions?  When  did  you 
begin  buying  Life  Annuity  Bonds?  Are  you 
satisfied  with  this  system?" 

"We  bought  our  first  Life  Annuity  Bond 
some  twenty  years  ago.  Every  year  since 
we  have  bought  one  or  more  bonds  with  our 
savings.  Every  annuitant  with  whom  I  have 
ever  talked  has  expressed  entire  satisfaction 
with  this  system. 

"I  have  been  told  that  a  millionaire  manu- 
facturer said,  *Anything  founded  on  the  idea 
of  producing  the  greatest  amount  of  good  to 
the  largest  number  of  people  is  bound  to  win 


His  Master's  Word  21 

in  the  end.'  Another  man  once  said,  *Any 
business  transaction  that  does  not  benefit  all 
parties  concerned  does  not  produce  the  best 
results.'  Both  of  these  statements  apply  as 
well  to  the  life  annuity  system. 

"Numerous  cases  could  be  cited  of  persons 
who  have  lost  their  property  by  living  beyond 
their  income  or  by  unwise  investments. 

"Only  recently  a  friend  of  mine  and  his 
wife  were  fleeced  out  of  ten  thousand  dollars 
by  a  confidence  game.  They  said  the  *con' 
men  seemed  to  exert  a  hypnotic  influence 
over  them.  Before  they  realized  their  loss 
the  strangers  had  disappeared.  They  told  me 
they  were  very  sorry  that  they  had  not  taken 
my  advice  and  bought  Life  Annuity  Bonds. 
However  they  have  now  secured  what  little 
money  they  had  left  by  buying  Life  Annuity 
Bonds  as  a  safeguard  for  themselves  and  rel- 
atives. 

"Some  years  ago  we  began  making  an  out- 
line of  our  will.  We  wanted  our  property  to 
render  the  most  good  to  the  community  in 
which  we  live.  We  were  surprised  to  find 
so  many  wills  were  broken  and  the  wishes  of 
the  makers  set  at  naught.  We  were  told  that 
it  was  a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  break 
any  will  if  the  estate  was  large  enough  to 
make  it  worth  while  to  contest  it.     If,  per- 


22  His  Master's   Word 

chance,  one  wished  to  leave  something  for 
a  benevolent  organization  it  vv^as  an  easy  mat- 
ter to  prove  that  the  testator  w^as  either  of 
unsound  mind  or  was  unduly  influenced  when 
he  made  the  will,  and  so  the  court  would  set 
the  will  aside. 

"A  friend  of  mine  showed  me  a  more  ex- 
cellent way  to  dispose  of  our  possessions  and 
after  a  careful  study  of  the  life  annuity  plan 
we  decided  to  adopt  it  for  settling  up  our  af- 
fairs. 

"Having  sold  out  my  business  and  real 
estate  I  desired  to  secure  an  assured  income 
for  my  wife  and  myself  as  long  as  either  of 
us  lived,  so  I  made  a  diligent  search  for  such 
organizations  as  were  properly  managed  and 
sound  financially  to  handle  our  money." 

"That*s  simply  good  business,"  said  the 
banker  as  he  became  more  interested  in  Mr. 
Leaver's  remarks. 

"Well,"  continued  Mr.  Leaver,  "as  I  saw 
property  slip  so  easily  through  other  people's 
fingers  leaving  penury  in  old  age,  I  began  to 
see  that  ownership  of  property  carried  with 
it  a  moral  obligation  to  invest  it  as  wisely 
for  God  and  humanity  as  I  had  done  for 
myself. 

"Having  been  blessed  with  two  children 
we  desired  to  assist  young  people  to  properly 


His  Master's  Word  23 

prepare  themselves  for  the  active  duties  of 
life;  to  provide  situations  for  them  to  fill;  to 
furnish  material  for  their  work;  to  aid  in 
their  care  in  an  emergency;  and  finally  to 
provide  for  their  old  age. 

"As  education  without  Christian  character 
is  a  doubtful  blessing  we  have  invested  our 
money  in  Life  Annuity  Bonds  of  denomina- 
tional colleges,  seminaries  and  universities, 
church  and  parsonage  building  organizations, 
home  and  foreign  missionary  societies,  re- 
ligious publication  houses,  hospitals,  pension 
funds  and  homes  for  the  aged." 

"I  see,"  the  banker  said  as  the  light  dawned 
upon  him,  "you  have  been  sowing  beside  all 
waters." 

"Yes,  sir,  we  have  simply  followed  Christ's 
instructions  to  the  rich  young  ruler.  You 
know  the  promise  is  that  we  will  be  rewarded 
in  heaven  according  to  our  works;  so  that 
may  be  construed  to  mean  the  elimination  of 
wills." 

"Do  I  understand  you,  Mr.  Leaver,  that 
you  have  given  all  your  money  to  these  insti- 
tutions you  have  mentioned?" 

"Yes,  sir.  You  see  these  Life  Annuity 
Bonds  are  simply  a  form  of  contract  whereby 
we  give  our  money  to  these  organizations  on 
condition  that  we  receive  a  fair  rate  of  an- 
nuity for  it.     At  the  death  of  the  surviving 


24  His  Master's  Word 

annuitant  the  money  paid  for  the  bonds  is 
released  and  it  is  used  to  perpetually  carry 
on  the  work  of  that  organization. 

GOLDEN  DEEDS 

"But  our  investments  with  these  organiza- 
tions are  of  minor  importance  compared  with 
the  service  we  have  rendered  others  by  help- 
ing them  to  understand  the  annuity  system 
and  by  inducing  them  to  purchase  Life  An- 
nuity Bonds. 

"Almost  every  annuitant  whom  we  have  se- 
cured becomes  a  booster  for  the  organization 
and  the  system." 

"That's  only  natural,"  interrupted  Mr. 
Allen.  "The  stockholders  of  our  bank  were 
largely  responsible  for  our  success.  We  fur- 
nished them  with  financial  statements  and 
they  took  pleasure  in  showing  these  state- 
ments to  their  friends." 

"The  organizations  doing  a  life  annuity 
business  also  provide  printed  matter  for  dis- 
tribution," replied  Mr.  Leaver. 

"It  has  frequently  been  said  that  the  Life 
Annuity  Bond  is  not  only  the  best  bond  on 
the  market  but,  in  fact,  is  the  only  bond  worth 
having." 

"How  do  you  figure  that  out?"  asked  Mr. 
Allen. 


His  Master's   Word 25 

"Because,  as  you  read,  there  are  more  good 
reasons  for  buying  annuities  than  for  any 
form  of  bonds. 

"So  for  the  past  few  years  we  have  given 
much  time  to  dispensing  life  annuity  infor- 
mation and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  the  effort 
has  not  been  in  vain. 

"There  are  five  things  to  be  considered  if 
one  desires  to  make  a  success  in  business — 
work  to  earn  money  honestly,  provide  for 
your  daily  needs,  spend  less  than  your  in- 
come, give  generously  to  worthy  causes,  and 
invest  money  wisely. 

"After  you  have  acquired  your  pot  of  gold 
there  are  only  five  ways  to  use  it — ^being  a 
miser,  spending  it  on  yourself,  giving  it  away, 
making  a  will,  or  by  adopting  the  life  annuity 
system." 

"I  have  witnessed  the  making  of  many 
wills.  Many  of  them  were  broken,"  said  the 
banker. 

"That's  a  frequent  occurrence,  Mr.  Allen. 
A  wealthy  man  in  our  town  died  several  years 
ago.  He  had  his  life  heavily  insured.  His  will 
was  contested.  The  case  dragged  through  the 
court  until  the  relatives  became  bitter  en- 
emies. When  the  case  was  settled  and  the 
costs  paid  there  was  hardly  enough  money 
left  to  buy  a  square  meal  for  a  canary  bird. 


26  His  Master's   Word 

"Statistics  show  that  over  one  half  of  the 
money  paid  to  widows  and  children  by  life 
insurance  companies  is  lost  inside  of  five 
years  by  either  unwise  investments  or  ex- 
travagant living." 

"We  have  three  children,  Mr.  Leaver.  Our 
daughter  Mary  never  married.  I  know  that 
when  she  inherits  her  share  of  our  estate  she 
will  be  a  target  for  some  adventurous  for- 
tune hunter.  Carrie  married  a  well-to-do 
railroad  man.  The  girls  like  myself,  are  in- 
clined to  be  economical.  Our  son  Howard 
is  generous  to  a  fault.  He  will  give  away 
his  last  cent  to  any  one  who  comes  to  him 
with  a  hard-luck  story.  I  have  often  won- 
dered how  I  could  protect  him  from  adver- 
sity. 

"I  now  see  the  advantages  of  this  life  an- 
nuity system.  As  I  understand  you  we  simply 
transfer  our  property,  moneys,  life  insurance, 
etc.,  to  certain  organizations,  which  we  select 
to  act  as  our  agents,  reserving  a  life  interest 
for  myself  and  wife  and  for  the  children  if 
they  should  survive  us." 

"You  have  stated  the  matter  correctly,  Mr. 
Allen." 

"I  see. by  diis  folder,  Mr.  Leaver,  that  there 
are  ten  different  forms  of  these  bonds.  There 
is  a  Single  Life  and  Survivorship,  Impaired 
Life  and  Partial  Payment,  Optional  and  De- 


His  Master's  Word  27 

ferred,  Extension  and  Decreasing,  Tempo- 
rary and  Memorial." 

"Yes,  sir,  and  they  are  all  good  for  indi- 
vidual cases,  Mr.  Allen." 

"I  thank  you,  Mr.  Leaver,  for  this  wealth 
of  information.  Mrs.  Allen  and  I  \w\\\  con- 
sider this  proposition. 

"I  wish  I  had  understood  this  life  annuity 
system  when  I  was  in  the  bank  because  many 
of  our  friends  asked  my  advice  about  making 
investments  and  I  could  have  suggested  a 
better  use  of  money  than  making  investments 
in  lands,  mortgages,  bricks  and  mortar. 

"The  adage  says,  *It  is  never  too  late  to 
mend,'  so  I  will  follow  your  example  and  dif- 
fuse this  life  annuity  information  in  my  com- 
munity as  you  have  done  here  and  else- 
where." 

Before  leaving  the  house  Mr.  Leaver  gave 
his  guests  application  blanks  of  several  edu- 
cational and  religious  organizations. 

The  following  afternoon  Walter  Allen 
called  to  see  Mr.  Leaver  and  said  to  him, 
"My  wife  and  I  have  carefully  made  an  in- 
voice of  our  property.  We  have  set  aside 
one  tenth  of  our  wealth  for  the  Lord's  work 
and  will  henceforth  tithe  all  of  our  income. 

"We  will  give  each  of  our  children  seven 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  United  States  Gov- 
ernment bonds. 


28  His  Master's   Word 

"Then  for  the  benefit  of  ourselves  and  chil- 
dren we  will  convert  the  balance  of  our  prop- 
erty into  Life  Annuity  Bonds  with  the  organ- 
izations that  you  recommend. 

"We  have  filled  out  several  of  the  applica- 
tion blanks  you  gave  us.  Will  you  please 
send  them  to  the  proper  persons?" 

"I  will  do  so  with  great  pleasure,  Mr.  Al- 
len." 

"And  now,"  said  the  banker,  "my  wife  and 
I  from  this  time  forth  will  work  for  God  and 
devote  our  time  to  help  popularize  this  life 
annuity  system  so  as  to  render  to  our  fellow- 
men  the  best  service  within  our  power." 

"I  think  you  mean,  Mr.  Allen,  that  you  will 
be  a  laborer  together  with  God  in  this  work. 
I  know  he  will  richly  bless  and  reward  your 
services." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Leaver,  that's  just  what  I  mean, 
to  work  with  God.  We  want  to  make  the 
world  better  because  we  have  lived  in  it.  In 
order  to  perpetuate  our  influence  we  will 
obey  the  Master's  word." 


"If  you   have   knowledge,  let  others   light 
their  candles  at  it** 


YOUR  INFLUENCE 

is  like  a  pebble  thrown  into  a  living  stream  of 
water.  It  forms  circles  which  lap  the  shores 
of  eternity. 


AFTER  TWENTY  YEARS' 

experience  I  realize  the  great  need  of  a  bet- 
ter understanding  of  the  life  annuity  system. 

This  booklet  has  been  prepared  with  the 
hope  and  prayer  that  the  reader  of  these  pages 
will  pass  on  this  booklet  to  others  who  should 
buy  Life  Annuity  Bonds  from  religious,  edu- 
cational or  benevolent  organizations. 


Additional  copies  of  this  booklet  will  be 
mailed  to  the  addresses  given  upon  the  re- 
ceipt of  ten  cents  per  copy. 

Address 

HENRY  ALBERT  COLLINS 

Havana,  Illinois 

29 


ICE-CREAM  ALLEY 

A  Novel  by 
Henry  Albert  Collins 
"The  Life  Annuity  Man** 

The  various  publications  of  Mr.  Collins 
having  had  such  a  large  and  beneficial  circu- 
lation induced  him  to  prepare  the  story  of 
Ice-Cream  Alley. 

The  novel  opens  vv^ith  a  serious  proposition 
for  the  young  preacher  who  is  just  out  of  col- 
lege and  who  was  sent  to  minister  to  an  ap- 
parently dead  church. 

He  tackles  the  undertaking  and  by  winning 
friends  he  induces  them  to  co-operate  with 
him  in  transforming  the  church  life. 

Their  influence  extends  throughout  the 
whole  community  and  it  is  needless  to  say 
here  that  the  hero  not  only  succeeds  in  his 
effort  but  wins  a  bride  and  as  the  fairy 
stories  say,  they  lived  happily  ever  after- 
ward. 

220  Pages  $1.00  Postpaid 

Published  by 
HENRY  ALBERT  COLLINS 
Havana,  III. 


30 


Otterbein  College 

Westerville,  Ohio 


Offers  LIFE  ANNUITY  BONDS  at  the 
highest  rate  of  income  consistent  with  the 
safety  it  guarantees. 

We  received  the  following:  "The  President 
of  Otterbein  College  called  at  our  home  when 
we  were  in  great  perplexity  about  securing  a 
safe  investment  for  a  widowed  niece.  He  sug- 
gested a  LIFE  ANNUITY  BOND  with  Otter- 
bein College. 

"The  system  seemed  so  feasible  we  bought  a 
bond  which  proved  to  be  so  satisfactory  that 
since  then  we  have  invested  other  sums  of 
money  in  annuities  with  Otterbein  College  and 
various  denominational  institutions  in  which 
we  are  interested. 

"LIFE  ANNUITY  BONDS  provide  an  ideal 
form  of  investment.  The  dividends  paid  in  a 
spiritual  way  are  invaluable.  Peace  of  mind, 
contentment  and  happiness  of  spirit  hitherto 
unknown  have  been  our  portion.  Can  one  ask 
more? 

"  'We  give  thee  but  thine  own, 
What  e'er  that  gift  may  be.'  " 

— Two  Enthusiastic  Annuitants. 


For  terms  of  bonds  apply  to 

W.  G.  CLIPPINGER,  President 

Westaryille,  Ohio 

31 


BX9878.9.C71 
His  Master's  word. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00047  3506 


